The Detroit riverfront is rich with history - the Underground Railroad, French fur-traders, Native American roads, English occupation, Prohibition, to name a few. The Detroit River represents the history of North America in a way that is not duplicated anywhere else. Local communities, major industries, and even the United States owe their development, in part, to the Detroit River and the people who took advantage of its potential.

This web tour has been made possible by the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy in collaboration with MotorCities National Heritage Area. Thank you to the Wayne State University Library System and the Walter P. Reuther Library for the use of many of the images.